Dick Van Raaphorst
{{Short description|American football player (1942–2020)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Dick Van Raaphorst
| image =
| number = 30, 39
| position = Placekicker
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|12|10}}
| birth_place = Port Huron, Michigan, U.S
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|10|3|1942|12|10}}
| death_place = San Diego, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 218
| high_school = Charlevoix (MI)
| college = Ohio State
| draftyear = 1964
| draftround = 10
| draftpick = 138
(By the Cleveland Browns)
| pastteams =
- Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1964}})*
- Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|1964}})
- Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1965}})*
- San Diego Chargers (1965–1967)
| highlights =
- AFL All-Star (1966)
- National champion (1961)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 42
| pfr = VanRDi20
}}
Richard William Van Raaphorst (December 10, 1942 – October 3, 2020) was an American football placekicker in the American Football League (AFL) for the San Diego Chargers. He also was a member of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State University.
Early years
Van Raaphorst attended Charlevoix High School, before moving on to Ohio State University.
He was named the starter of the 1961 team coached by Woody Hayes that won the Big Ten Conference, but the Ohio State faculty council wanting to show that football was not overemphasized, voted against sending the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl. The University of Minnesota was the replacement team that beat UCLA 21-3.{{cite web| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-12-24-sp-12149-story.html | title=Glory, Past and Present : A Tale of Two Quarterbacks, Jeff Van Raaphorst and Jake Plummer | access-date=February 11, 2018}} He was injured as a junior.
As a senior, he broke the school and conference distance record with a 48-yard field goal.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19631006&id=pZscAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u2UEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4448,1109564&hl=es | title=Van Raaphorst Sets Field Goal Record | accessdate=February 11, 2018}} The next game he broke it again with a 49-yard field goal.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19631013&id=dlBIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TksDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4518,1426560&hl=es | title=Late Field Goal Gives Ohio State 20-20 Tie | accessdate=February 11, 2018}} He also set a record with 6 field goals in Big Ten Conference games and 8 in the season. The next game he broke it again with a 49-yard field goal.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19640804&id=u4FPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BAUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3561,803239&hl=es | title=Van Raaphorst Gets His Kicks For All-Stars | accessdate=February 11, 2018}}
Professional career
=Cleveland Browns=
Van Raaphorst was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the tenth round (138th overall) of the 1964 NFL draft.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19631220&id=WlUaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wxAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7187,715373&hl=es | title=Buckeye Ace Signed By Browns | accessdate=February 11, 2018}} On August 24, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a draft choice, after the team decided to keep 40-year-old Lou Groza as the starter.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19640825&id=9N5NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8YoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6338,5138715&hl=es | title=Browns To Go With Groza Again | accessdate=February 11, 2018}}
=Dallas Cowboys=
In 1964, the Dallas Cowboys were looking for a replacement for Sam Baker, and when rookie Billy Lothridge couldn't fill the kicker role, the team acquired Van Raaphorst and named him the starter.{{cite web| url=
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19640825&id=3ENjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M3QNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6384,4045894&hl=es | title=Cowboys Trade For Specialist | accessdate=February 11, 2018}} He struggled throughout the year and was replaced the next season with Danny Villanueva.
=Chicago Bears=
On January 13, 1965, he was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears,{{cite web| url=
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19650114&id=m7pOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WwEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5699,4339921&hl=es | title=Van Raaphorst Goes To Bears | accessdate=February 11, 2018}} but was waived before the start of the season.
=San Diego Chargers=
In 1965, he was signed by the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League to their taxi squad. The next year, he was named the starter and kicked 16 field goals, while also setting a franchise record with 7 field goals attempts against the New York Jets on October 8. At the time, he had the second most field goals (31) made in franchise history.
=Cincinnati Bengals=
Van Raaphorst was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1968 AFL expansion draft from the San Diego Chargers roster,{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19680117&id=VutHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pv8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2592,1972920&hl=es | title=Burnett Anmd Bellino Among 20 Bengals Picks | accessdate=February 19, 2017}} but he opted to retire instead of reporting to the team.
Personal life
After football, he worked as a real estate developer. He served as a color analyst on the San Diego Chargers radio broadcasts in the 1970s. He won the 1968 Professional Football Players Golf Tournament.{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19680525&id=yNMiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gekDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4304,4409369&hl=es | title=Van Raaphorst Wins With 306 | accessdate=February 11, 2018}}
His son Jeff Van Raaphorst played quarterback in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and received the 1987 Rose Bowl MVP award.
Van Raaphorst died on October 3, 2020, in San Diego, California at the age of 77.{{cite web|url=https://www.petoskeynews.com/charlevoix/obituaries/richard-dick-van-raaphorst-77/article_311211b1-c8f5-5fd9-b0be-2bf30a8f0fce.html |title=Richard 'Dick' Van Raaphorst, 77 |publisher=petoskeynews.com |date=2020-10-16 |accessdate=2020-11-17}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{1961 Ohio State Buckeyes football navbox}}
{{Browns1964DraftPicks}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Raaphorst, Dick}}
Category:American Football League All-Star players
Category:American Football League players
Category:American football placekickers
Category:Dallas Cowboys players
Category:Ohio State Buckeyes football players
Category:People from Charlevoix, Michigan
Category:Players of American football from Michigan